Two types of blue in Pinhao in the Douro Valley

Douro River Valley, Pinhao Town, Portugal, stock photography samples, by Per Karlsson, BKWine — This is only a selection of samples. Use Image SEARCH to find more photos — Pinhao (or Pinhão) is one of the main towns in the upper Douro and in the port wine district. Calling it a town is almost an exaggeration. A big village might be more correct. The other two towns of note are Regua (or Peso da Regua) and Foz do Tua.

Pinhao is a small and rather unspectacular town but it is located magnificently at a bend of the Douro River, just where the Pinhao river joins the Douro. There is a big and beautiful hotel on the river called The Vintage House. Many rooms have a view over the river and there is a garden with a pool on the water front. The train station at Pinhao is also a sight not to miss. It is lavishly decorated with the Portuguese style blue and white tiles, the azulejos. The paintings depict various scenes from the port wine district: harvest and picking, treading the grapes in lagares, transporting on the river etc. There is even a wine bar in the station building itself!

You can also go for a stroll along the river side. There is a nice walking path along the dock with one or two cafés. The big river cruise ships that bring in loads of foreign tourists often stop here over-night. From the dock you have a beautiful view over the Douro river with many quintas dotted on the hill sides. Not to be missed at sunset! You can also take a closer look at some of the barcos rabelos – the old boats that was once used for transporting the port wine down to Vila Nova de Gaia.